Book on health promotion launched

A book entitled, “Health Promotion: Global Principles and Practices,” has been launched in Accra to help health workers to be abreast of current standards in the profession.

The 228-page book, consisting six chapters, evaluates the challenges of health promotion in sub-Saharan Africa.

Professor Rachael Dixey from the Leads Metropolitan University and Author of the book said for health promotion to be effective in Africa, it had to involve the society and not only professionals in the sector.

She said a lot more emphasis had to be laid on preventive measures rather than tackling ailments at the curative stage, for better health promotion.

Prof Dixey said there was the need for the country to invest in health, cultivate the political will and work within traditional and new settings and generate evidence of health promotion.

She said for campaigns to be effective, “practice needs to be based on African values and ideas, harnessing the best of the old and new.”

She said Africa needed to build strong health systems and also have the ability to conduct independent health research.

Dr Henry Nagai, Country Director of FHI 360 Ghana, launched the book and urged health practitioners to be pro-active in disease prevention by raising as much awareness amongst the public as possible.

He said preventing disease was best achieved when the public was well educated on the need for prevention, as well as the preventive methods.

Source: GNA